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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Inner-city youth hungry and angry</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=80 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Ken Chaplin</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>In a mostly speculative piece on Wednesday, February 14, fellow columnist Dennis Morrison, a writer and a highly placed government official, implied certain misdeeds by the Jamaica Labour Party in the 1980 general election. Morrison, chairman of the Airports Authority and the Jamaica Tourist Board, director general of the ministry of development and economic adviser to the ruling People's National Party said:
"We are still suffering the consequences of the violence used for political motives in the bloodshed 1980 elections. It is pointless for our politicians to wax warm about their vision for Jamaica and their plans for growth and development, if they are going to secure power by further feeding the impulse of violence in our society."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Mr Morrison gave the impression that it was only supporters of the JLP who stirred up violence. But we must be fair. The violence in the 1980 elections was carried out by supporters of the JLP, PNP and the communist Workers Party of Jamaica (WPJ) which backed the PNP. I happen to know this as I was in a privileged position to read, almost every day, the log at the police national radio control centre at the commissioner's office, which carried reports of incidents across the country. The question is whether a public servant whose emoluments are being paid by taxpayers of various political affiliations and others should be writing in a biased, politically partisan manner. Morrison has placed himself out on a limb and if there is a change of government there is only one course open to him, and that is to resign his government positions. This has been the course in the past. But that is another matter. I enjoy reading Morrison when he sticks to pure economic matters.<P class=StoryText align=justify>It is doubtful whether the present violence in the society will reach the level of 1980 because support of the parties by people who would most likely commit violence, has dwindled. This is due mainly to the sharp decline in government's spoils and scarce benefits to many supporters because of the economic situation. The people who are reaping a lot now are contractors, managers and owners of big and middle-sized businesses who receive special privileges. In return, they are expected to help finance the election campaign of the PNP.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The police reckon that most of the murders being committed were not motivated by politics. Most of them (436) or 33 per cent of the 1340 committed in 2006 were gang-related. Thirty, or two per cent were drug-related, 61 or 5 per cent were domestic, 653 or 49 per cent fell under other criminal acts and the motive for 160 has not yet been established. Of the 1340 murders committed, only 625 have been cleared up. The clearing-up rate is expected to improve with the technological development of the police force. The murder of 10 policemen last year and six this year seemed random and had nothing to do with politics. Policemen were killed mainly to get their firearms. Also some inner-city gangs see the police as a hindrance to their survival and are therefore regarded as the enemy. At the same time, the police are taking no chance with the estimated 30,000 guns in the hands of criminals. Many of these guns were brought into the island illegally or some were stolen. While the police recovered 675 firearms last year, l00 were stolen. At the same time 8140 rounds of ammunition we
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=80 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Ken Chaplin</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>In a mostly speculative piece on Wednesday, February 14, fellow columnist Dennis Morrison, a writer and a highly placed government official, implied certain misdeeds by the Jamaica Labour Party in the 1980 general election. Morrison, chairman of the Airports Authority and the Jamaica Tourist Board, director general of the ministry of development and economic adviser to the ruling People's National Party said:"We are still suffering the consequences of the violence used for political motives in the bloodshed 1980 elections. It is pointless for our politicians to wax warm about their vision for Jamaica and their plans for growth and development, if they are going to secure power by further feeding the impulse of violence in our society."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Mr Morrison gave the impression that it was only supporters of the JLP who stirred up violence. But we must be fair. The violence in the 1980 elections was carried out by supporters of the JLP, PNP and the communist Workers Party of Jamaica (WPJ) which backed the PNP. I happen to know this as I was in a privileged position to read, almost every day, the log at the police national radio control centre at the commissioner's office, which carried reports of incidents across the country. The question is whether a public servant whose emoluments are being paid by taxpayers of various political affiliations and others should be writing in a biased, politically partisan manner. Morrison has placed himself out on a limb and if there is a change of government there is only one course open to him, and that is to resign his government positions. This has been the course in the past. But that is another matter. I enjoy reading Morrison when he sticks to pure economic matters.<P class=StoryText align=justify>It is doubtful whether the present violence in the society will reach the level of 1980 because support of the parties by people who would most likely commit violence, has dwindled. This is due mainly to the sharp decline in government's spoils and scarce benefits to many supporters because of the economic situation. The people who are reaping a lot now are contractors, managers and owners of big and middle-sized businesses who receive special privileges. In return, they are expected to help finance the election campaign of the PNP.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The police reckon that most of the murders being committed were not motivated by politics. Most of them (436) or 33 per cent of the 1340 committed in 2006 were gang-related. Thirty, or two per cent were drug-related, 61 or 5 per cent were domestic, 653 or 49 per cent fell under other criminal acts and the motive for 160 has not yet been established. Of the 1340 murders committed, only 625 have been cleared up. The clearing-up rate is expected to improve with the technological development of the police force. The murder of 10 policemen last year and six this year seemed random and had nothing to do with politics. Policemen were killed mainly to get their firearms. Also some inner-city gangs see the police as a hindrance to their survival and are therefore regarded as the enemy. At the same time, the police are taking no chance with the estimated 30,000 guns in the hands of criminals. Many of these guns were brought into the island illegally or some were stolen. While the police recovered 675 firearms last year, l00 were stolen. At the same time 8140 rounds of ammunition we
Talk bout one fool leading many.
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